BCE (Bell Canada's parent co.) CEO: With BB10 we now have three really strong phone competitors

Bell Canada parent BCE Inc. said Thursday that selling BlackBerry Inc.s refreshed line of smartphones during its most recent quarter helped Canadas largest telecommunications company rein in a two-year trend of steadily climbing costs related to the addition of new customers.

Wireless providers love signing up new smartphone customers for the promise of future spending on lucrative data services, but the cost of subsidizing pricey phones like Apple Inc.s iPhone to make them more affordable for customers makes that a double-edged sword.

George Cope, president and chief executive of the Montreal-based telecom and media giant, said that BlackBerrys new line of BB10 phones, which require a lower subsidy than some other smartphones, helped lessen that pressure in the quarter.

Now we have three really strong competitors back in the smartphone space, not two, and thats obviously, as a buyer, advantageous for the consumer from the choice perspective, Mr. Cope said, referencing BlackBerrys increased competition with Apple and Samsung devices since the launch of its BB10 devices this year.